


Colors of the Season

by southview



Category: SHINee
Genre: Admiring from Afar, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied JongKey, M/M, OOC!Minho tbh, stranger au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 12:36:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16095803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southview/pseuds/southview
Summary: Minho didn't believe in things such as love at first sight until he encountered a beautiful stranger in the subway.





	Colors of the Season

**Author's Note:**

> _I couldn't do this without my first reader, Dea ♥_
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> The title is inspired by SHINee's song, Colors of the Season.

Is it possible to fall in love with someone who you’ve never talked to? They called it love at first sight but Choi Minho didn’t believe in it, so does true love. After he broke up with his girlfriend, he never thought that he would ever fall in love with someone else. It was impossible since she was his first love and also, the first girlfriend that he had. However, he didn’t expect that someone could change his perspective about love. Especially that someone was a beautiful stranger that he encountered in the subway.

 

**_Spring, 2016_ **

 

Minho didn’t have an exciting life like what people thought. People might think that he was from a rich family with his suits (just because looked good with it, to be honest) but really, he was just a normal guy. He would rather describe his life as dull. However even with his boring life, at least his friend, Lee Taemin, thought the otherwise when it comes to Minho’s personality (though he didn’t know if Taemin was being sarcastic or not).

 

His daily life was pretty much repetitive. He usually woke up at 5:30AM by the sound of annoying default alarm. Then, he would take a shower and get ready for work. He would leave at 7:00AM and go home at 6:00PM, sometimes 6:30PM. His job was boring as hell but at least it could cover his rent every month. His apartment was quite far from his workplace, so he needed to use the subway to go to work. There was no bus that directly goes from his apartment to his workplace. It took more time compared to subway.

 

The first time Minho saw the beautiful stranger was on a busy Friday. He was on his way home when a guy caught his attention sitting across him. He had a crimson hair and wore a red shirt and ripped jeans with a colorful suit—whether it was trendy or fashion disaster, Minho wouldn’t know. He thought that one would be blind if they couldn’t spot the eccentric guy with a unique fashion taste in the middle of the train. Even when people glanced at the guy with a weird look, he still looked confident. Minho had to admit that the guy was attractive even with his weird sense of clothing.

 

Minho didn’t have a type when it comes to someone he likes and his beliefs about true love nor love at first sight remained the same. But now, the eccentric guy _kinda_ changed his point of view. To say that the guy was beautiful was an understatement. Minho knew for sure that the guy would make every girls jealous with his flawless face. The guy was _gorgeous_ with his unique face. He didn’t look like a typical Korean. He had a feeling that he will see the beautiful stranger more often.

 

Minho was right. He saw the beautiful stranger again at the same time on the following week. He wore similar flashy clothes but he always pulled it like a fashionista. Sometimes he used stylish sunglasses which made Minho giggled secretly. Somehow as if the guy wanted to go to a fashion show. Probably he was a model since the guy used expensive looking clothes. He didn’t know anything about the beautiful stranger except for his taste in fashion. Most of the time, the guy focused on his phone with earphones attached on both of his ears.

 

Minho didn’t see the beautiful stranger every single day. He was disappointed whenever there was no sign of the guy but he made Minho’s life a little bit brighter whenever he got the chance to meet him. Like, there was something to look forward to whenever he goes home.

 

***

 

Around mid-spring, Minho met his friend, Taemin, for a cup of coffee. Taemin was two years younger than him. They usually hung out with each other regularly. Even with different interest and job field, Minho and Taemin remained friends for more than 5 years. Maybe because they both understand each other and how they had similar way of thinking. But Minho didn’t care about that. He was just glad that he has Taemin as his closest friend.

 

“Hyung, you seem different.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“It seems like you’re... glowing,” Taemin teased, “Don’t tell me... You like someone, did you? Tell me! Tell me!”

 

Minho frowned while looking at the guy across him. “Taem, you’re just imagining things.”

 

****

**_Summe_ ** **_r, 2016_ **

 

Things _slightly_ changed on one Thursday night. Well, 30th of June, to be exact. Minho remembered it very well. Every detail that he wanted to get rid from his brain. No, Minho didn’t confess to his ‘crush’ and got rejected or anything. He didn’t have the courage to do so. The guy always made Minho smile like a dork. He felt really happy when the guy stepped into the train. This time, his hair was pink. Pastel pink. It suited him so well to the point that Minho thought it was normal for the guy to have such colorful hair. Not to mention, he looked cute. His clothes were flashy as usual, Minho already used to it. But then, his smile began to fade away when both of his eyes caught the person sitting beside the beautiful stranger (More like, _his_ beautiful stranger) who held his hand. The man beside him was shorter than the guy but looked older. Minho could see _his_ beautiful stranger smiled when the man whispered something, it was like as if the world was theirs.

 

 _This is just a simple crush_ , he told to himself. It would end sooner or later anyway.

 

It got harder for Minho as time passed, their affection made Minho felt uncomfortable. No, the thing that he felt wasn’t jealousy. He was sure of it. When the guy was with his _boyfriend_ (yeah, Minho didn’t know what to call this guy), there were things that he discovered. Minho got to hear the sound of the beautiful stranger’s laugh for the first time. It was loud but he really liked listening to those laughs. Minho also got to see his sweet and adorable smile. He could see the guy’s dimple whenever he smiled. He looked very happy when he was with his boyfriend. Minho only sighed. It hurt him so much that it wasn’t him who made him laugh and smile. And no, this wasn’t a jealousy. _Maybe_ it was but Minho just didn’t want to admit that.

 

Every time he saw the both of them, he just wanted to avoid to be in the same train as the stranger. Meeting the beautiful stranger became the last person that he wanted to see. He tried to go home an hour later so that he didn’t need to see the beautiful stranger. It really worked but he really missed looking at the guy, seeing the guy made him happy. It was weird not having the guy’s presence anymore. He tried to forget about him but he just couldn’t. The beautiful stranger’s shadow lingered in his mind as if Minho couldn’t get away from him. Maybe the guy put a magic spell on him because he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

 

Minho didn’t feel as jealous as he was after he took the subway an hour later than he usually do for a month. He just had to bear with it. He took the same subway as the beautiful stranger and the boyfriend again. He felt numb somehow. Who was he anyway to be jealous or whatever that is called? The guy was just a beautiful stranger.

 

**_Autumn, 2016_ **

 

Minho knew there was something happened with the beautiful stranger when he saw the guy’s hair. Even he couldn’t describe it well but definitely, it was a mess. The color was somewhat greenish brown but with a mixture of blue, purple and probably red. His hair was longer but seemed like he didn’t bother to cut it. He didn’t see that man anymore, the boyfriend. Not even once. Minho noticed about beautiful stranger’s  swollen eyes. The guy sat across him and there was some people standing in the middle but Minho could clearly see the puffy eyes that the guy’s had. It seemed like the guy cried for more than hours. Did the boyfriend do something to his beautiful stranger? Minho didn’t see any sign of scar or wound.

 

He was completely worried about the guy. Every single time, Minho saw him in a bad shape. The guy cried silently, trying not to make a scene. It seemed like he had a rough time. Minho could see that he was definitely not fine. It was obvious even how much the guy tried to hide it.

 

Minho wanted to help, he wanted to tell the guy that it is alright to cry and let go of his feelings. He didn’t know the situation but he just wanted to comfort the guy. He couldn’t bare to see him like this. He missed his laugh and smile when the guy was with his boyfriend. It was better when the guy was with his boyfriend rather than seeing him brokenhearted. It wasn’t his business or anything. Minho was just a stranger to the guy anyway. Minho only sighed whenever he looked at his beautiful stranger. If only there was something that he could do to make the guy felt happier. He would do anything to cheer him up.

 

But then, he thought again. Maybe it wasn’t his business. Who was he anyway to cheer up the guy? It wasn’t his place to do these stuff.

 

***

 

“What do you do when you see someone looking so sad as if their life is completely ruined?”

 

Minho hung out with Taemin as usual. This time, Minho invited him to go to his apartment. The younger man brought some snacks for them to eat. It was already late night and definitely a perfect timing for a bottle of soju. Usually, even more.

 

“You should approach and talk to them.”

 

“I can’t do that.”

 

“Wait,” Taemin paused, “Don’t tell me, is this the crush you’re talking about?”

 

“What crush?”

 

“You don’t have to be so denial because it’s kinda obvious by looking at your face.”

 

Minho shrugged. On the second thought, maybe it wasn’t his business to care about the guy. After all, he was just a beautiful stranger.

 

**_Winter, 2016_ **

 

By the time it was winter, Minho couldn’t hold his feelings anymore. He stopped denying somehow. Maybe it was a crush or perhaps love but he wanted to help the beautiful stranger. He felt like the guy was suffering but then, who was he to understand the guy’s feeling. They didn’t know each other, they were just strangers who happened to ride in the same subway every time.

 

Minho saw the guy again on the day of the first snowfall. His beautiful stranger changed drastically to the point Minho didn’t recognize him at first. By this time, Minho noticed that the guy changed his hair color depending on his mood. His hair was not colorful as it usually was. He changed his hair color to black and he cut his long hair to appropriate length. His beautiful stranger looked more manly with his normal short black hair. His fashion taste somehow changed. He didn’t wore his flashy clothes, he used leather jacket with black turtleneck top beneath and dark jeans. The guy looked very normal and really blends in with his surroundings. His aura changed but to Minho, he looked most beautiful with his natural hair color and simple clothes. Perhaps that was the reason why Minho couldn’t take off his eyes. He realized how he fell deeply in love with the guy.

 

As time passed by, he rarely saw the beautiful stranger. He would usually see the guy at least for once a week but this time, the guy only showed up once in two weeks and there was once that he only saw the guy once in a month. Minho worried that there was something _really_ happened to the guy. Was it because of his boyfriend? He was curious but he didn’t know the guy or even a basic thing such as his name. At some point, he was scared because the guy didn’t show up that much anymore. What if he couldn’t see the guy ever again? It felt like he lost his motivation when he went home from work, like there was nothing to look forward to.

 

“Okay, so now you admit that you have a crush on someone,” Taemin said with a deadpan expression.

 

Well, Minho had no choice but to tell about his ‘crush’. Not everything, but just roughly about what was going on basically. Taemin kept on rolling his eyes as if his eyes were saying ‘I knew it!’ when Minho explained everything.

 

Upon hearing to Minho’s long explanation and talk about this ‘beautiful stranger’, the younger man then suggested, “I think you should try and approach him, you know? You like him and you can just start with saying hi or something.”

 

“I feel like a stalker by doing that.” Minho frowned.

 

“Hyung,” Taemin sighed, “It’s been a year since you keep an eye on this guy and if it isn’t called as ‘stalking’, then I don’t know what.”

 

Minho defended, “We were just sitting in the same train, okay?”

 

“Yeah, _for a year_.”

 

Taemin was _actually_ right, Minho thought. It would be better if he just go and talk to the guy. His damn body and mind didn’t have any gut to do that. He was scared that the beautiful stranger would just run away and thought of him as a stalker. And, _maybe_ Taemin right about him being a stranger. He just didn’t have the gut to speak up with the guy so suddenly.

 

“By the way, what’s up with calling him as ‘beautiful stranger’? It sounds so poetic.”

 

Minho only rolled his eyes.

 

***

 

Even if Minho tried to persuade himself to talk to the guy, it didn’t work. It was already a month and Minho didn’t have the courage to do so. He just wasn’t ready. It was easier than done. He felt like it was harder than confessing his love to his ex-girlfriend.

 

This time, Minho had a feeling that he should go and talk to the guy. For real. He needed to talk to the guy. There might be a chance that he wouldn’t be able to see the guy ever again. He thought of ways on how to greet the guy and not to be awkward but he couldn’t find the right word. With all the daydreaming and thoughts, Minho didn’t notice that the beautiful stranger already got off the subway. Minho began to panic and he couldn’t think properly. He needed to talk to this guy, he needed to.

 

“Wait!” Minho yelled.

 

When he stood and decided to get off the subway, he was too late. The bell rang and the door slide began to close as Minho saw the beautiful stranger walking. He ruffled his hair in frustration and bit his lip. He wanted to scream but couldn’t.

 

Minho was right, as always. He lost his chance as it was the last time he saw the beautiful stranger.

 

**_Winter, 2018_ **

 

Minho looked at the passenger seat across him. Even though he was in a different subway route, it made him feel nostalgic. It was exactly two years ago when he last met the beautiful stranger. He disappeared like magic, with no trace at all. Minho’s feeling towards the guy had gradually disappeared. Maybe it was just a crush, Taemin told him. A crush that lasted a year. Minho shook his head. People would think that was ridiculous. To fell in love with someone who you’ve never talked to for a year. However, he didn’t regret it. He was glad that he had a crush on that beautiful stranger. Because of him, Minho had motivation to live his life.

 

Things also changed after two years. Minho quit his job on the following year after he last saw the beautiful stranger. He wanted to forget about him and to start a new life. This time, a fun and exciting life. With some effort and sacrifices, Minho got the job that he wanted. Even if it took quite some time but he was happy. He also changed his default furniture and decor, making it looked more minimalistic. He felt like some changes won’t hurt him and it actually motivated him to move on. Even after two years, Minho thought that being single is alright (even if he couldn’t forget about the guy completely). However his friend, Taemin, got a boyfriend somehow. His name was Lee Jinki, a man who was four years older than Taemin. Minho became friends with Jinki really fast and he thought that the man was good for his friend. The older man was wise and very calm, which was the opposite of his friend. Even Jinki also treated Minho like a brother. He concerned about both his boyfriend and Minho a lot.

 

“I think it’s time for you to find someone. When was the last time you had a girlfriend or boyfriend?” Lee Jinki asked while sipping his tea. He always asked the same question when it was about his love life.

 

“Hyung, not this again,” Minho groaned, “I told you that I’m not interested in dating anyone.”

 

“You’re not getting young, Minho.” Jinki said, “I know someone. He is around your age. I think you should give it a try.”

 

Minho shook his head and bit his lips.

 

“Please? Just once, it won’t hurt right?”

 

“No.”

 

“It’s just a blind date like really, you can tell me if you’re not interested _after_ meeting him.”

 

“Okay, just once and that’s all.”

 

“Deal!” Jinki smiled.

 

*** 

 

Minho agreed to go to the blind date. He knew that Jinki would not stop until he agreed at least once. It would be better to try at least once and then turned down the next time Jinki forced him to go to a blind date. Jinki had a lot of friends and he always wanted to set Minho up with them. He understood how worried his friend was but he just couldn’t help that he didn’t want to have a boyfriend or girlfriend at the moment. It was hard for him to like someone, well especially after the beautiful stranger.

 

Jinki told Minho where and when he will be meeting his blind date. He didn’t say anything about his blind date partner particularly but he assured Minho that ‘he will like the guy’. The place that his partner chose was not far from his place and it was quite nice. It was an Italian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Minho wore his white turtleneck top with black trouser, not forgetting his thick jacket since it was winter. When he arrived at the restaurant, he told the waiter that he already had a reservation. The name of the reservation was “Lee Jinki”, to make things more mysterious since they both didn’t know each other. The waiter showed his table and it seemed that his partner hadn’t arrived yet. Minho waited until a guy showed up.

 

“Hello,” his partner greeted.

 

Minho stood up to greet his partner but when he looked at his partner, his jaw dropped. He recognized the guy. Of course he knew the guy. It was the beautiful stranger. _His_ beautiful stranger. He didn’t change his hair color, it was the same as the last time he saw the guy. His natural black hair. Surprisingly, he wore simple clothes similar to the last time he saw the guy. This time, the guy wore a brown winter coat with black long-sleeved shirt and thick jeans. He didn’t change at all after two years. They both looked at each other with their eyes widen. They both froze and didn’t say anything for a minute.

 

“Y-You are the guy in the subway!” they exclaimed in unison, making everyone in the restaurant looked to their side. Both of them covered their mouth and smiled.

 

Minho was shocked. He couldn’t believe in what he heard. Was he dreaming to hear that the beautiful stranger actually noticed him?

 

“Please have a sit,” Minho said nervously.

 

The beautiful stranger took his seat. Minho was about to take his seat too, but the next thing he knew was he fell off his chair. It didn’t hurt him badly but he heard the guy who sat across him giggled when he fell down. _That was embarrassing_ , Minho thought. Although he laughed a bit, the guy also helped him stood up afterwards. When Minho took his seat, the guy also return to his seat. Minho cleared his throat and acted cool after his embarrassing fall.

 

He introduced himself, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Choi Minho.”

 

“Kim Kibum. Nice to meet you too.”

 

After three years, Minho knew his name at last. Kim Kibum was a beautiful name for a beautiful person like him. Maybe Minho was just a fool because he madly in love with the guy for three years now.

 

“How did you know that I was the guy… in the subway?” Minho asked. He was curious as to how Kibum knew him and referred him as ‘the guy in the subway’. It would have been his words, not Kibum’s. He wouldn’t have shout the same thing as him if he didn’t know his presence. Wait, how the hell Jinki even knew the guy?

 

“Let’s just say that it’s not only you who was watching from afar,” Kibum winked.

 

Minho knew that Kim Kibum had a lot of explaining to do after this and definitely, he would tell Jinki not to force him into blind dates anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Kibum's hair inspiration:  
> Spring 2016 - SHINee World 2014 ~I'm Your Boy~  
> Summer 2016 - Key&Irene CHARMS collaboration  
> Autumn 2016 - Odd era  
> Winter 2016 & Winter 2018 - FIVE era
> 
> Thank you for reading my first SHINee fanfic. I hope it wasn't too out of character for Minho. Please tell me your opinion in the comment below :)


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